Holiday Card Contest

Highlights from last week. Gabby won a state wide holiday card contest. She got first place in her grade. I barely sent it in on time and I didn't even want to worry about it because she had only spent maybe 5 minutes on the picture and I didn't think she would win anyway. She sat down for I swear 5 minutes to make that picture and handed it to me. I really wanted to try to direct her more and have her spend more time but I thought I'd better not. I didn't want to squelch her creativity or take out the joy of her art work so I let it go and she won! Well there you go!

I decided to take a calligraphy class with some of my book club friends starting in January. I e-mailed the instructor and told him I have TERRIBLE handwriting and I hate to write but I did have some interest in the class. He told me that calligraphy doesn't have anything to do with hand writing and that if I did my assignments outside of class I should be fine. We will see! I'm kind of nervous/excited. He then invited me to their calligraphy guild Christmas party the following day. My friend Victoria and I decided to go. I was surrounded by a bunch of calligraphy nerds and they were talking to me about calligraphy stuff and they might as well have been speaking to me in Chinese, but we got yummy free pizza and a gift exchange present so hey not bad!

On Saturday we had our book club meeting and we decided to do a special brunch for Christmas time rather than our usual weeknight meeting. It was delicious! It's been really fun getting to know those girls. I've really enjoyed my book club even if it does mean I have to read a 300 plus page book every month! I am always cramming right at the end because that's the way I roll.

Other than that the usual happenings with the kids and I've been trying to finish my jean quilt. That thing is a beast. I had to make the bias tape and then sew it on and that was no small feat. It was really heavy and hard to feed that puppy through the machine but I did it. Now I am finishing hand quilting the backside of the binding on which is a great activity to do while watching some late night TV.

Gabby's first place holiday card picture.

Tell me how the same batch of cinnamon rolls can have some turn out like the ones and the ones below. I don't get it, but they tasted the same so it doesn't really matter!

Scott bought a couple of board games to play with the kids. They played yesterday and today.

I turned on a cheesy Hallmark Christmas movie and the bolted at some point and the house was very quiet. I went to investigate and discovered this.

Book club Christmas brunch. Soooo yummy!

My workshop/Ryan's bedroom/our closet. When I refinished that cute desk I didn't want to get rid of it and I didn't have a place to put it so I put it in my closet. Then I put my sewing machine on it and it's been great. I have done much more sewing now that I don't have to get out my sewing machine every time I want to do something and I have a place I can leave my projects. It's been really nice! That quilt is a beast!